Display rack for lace reels



Dec.5,1939. F. A. WOLFERT 2,182,605-

DISPLAY RACK FOR LACE REELS Filed May 31, 1938 20/ 4 I I I,

/- e0 A h/az. A2747."

I INVENTO R BY 7 f ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITE sn'rss PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to the display and merchandizing of laces and has particular reference to a novel rack for supporting reels of lace in an I attractive and orderly manner.

5' In the sale of lace, it has been the practice of department stores, chain stores and other retail establishments to display cards of lace upon the counter and dispense the same therefrom as the 7 sales are made. Such system of displaying lace 10" for sale is objectionable, for several reasons, namely, the cards containing the various designs and widths become mixed up through handling; the lace becomes soiled by prospective store customers handling the same; and the cards are usually in a state of disorder which is inducive of an unattractive display of the lace merchan-' dize. It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to overcome these past conditions by winding the laces on reels, and displaying the reels of lace upon a rack which may be placed upon a store counter for close inspection by a prospective buyer, and whereby the lace may be unreeled by the salesgirl to the desired length without removing the reels from the rack.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a novel rack for supporting reels of lace in which the sides of the rack do not interfere with the view of the display of the reels of lace by a prospective purchaser when standing at the sides of the rack.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a display rack for reels of lace in whicha number of reels are rotatably supported upon a single bar, the bar being removably supported in a novel manner to facilitate its easy removal for the replacement of an empty reel by a full reel.

A further feature of the invention resides in a rack for the display and dispensing of lace in which the reels of lace rotatably supported on each bar are attractively and prominently marked for price, so as not to detract from the appearance of the display nor interfere with the customers view of the lace merchandise.

A still further feature of the invention is to provide a display rack having the foregoing features, which is simple and inexpensive of construction, light of weight, and attractive design so as not to detract from the attractive fixtures of a store counter on which it is adapted to be placed.

Other features of the invention will appear as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

reels in full lines and others in dotted lines. 5

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 10 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I 0 designates my improved lace reel rack in its entirety and which includes a lower base wire frame section I l of rectangular 16 shape in plan and a similar shape wire upper frame section l2, the said sections being rigidly spaced in parallel relation by corner posts I 3 and intermediate posts [4. The upper frame section is braced by one or more intermediate transverse 20 brace rods l5 and the front rail l6 of the upper frame section I2 is disposed below the plane of the side rails ll-ll so as not to interfere with the reels rotatably supported at the front of the rack in a manner to be presently explained. 25

Fixed to the side rails Il-l'l of the upper frame section 12 are pairs of oppositely disposed U-shaped hangers l8, each hanger I8 is preferably constructed of wire and has the U portion thereof disposed inwardly of and in spaced rela- 30 tion to the side rails IT to which it is connected. The legs IQ of the U shaped hangers are bent at right angles and extend outwardly and are welded or otherwise secured to the top of its supporting rail IT. The pairs .of hangers l8 are 35 suitably spaced lengthwise of the side rails I! and each pair of hangers removably receives and supports fiat reel supporting bar 20. The ends of the bars 20 rest upon the bight portion of the U shaped hangers l8 and the extreme end walls 40 of the bars engage the side rails l1 and are prevented by said rails from shifting lengthwise, after the bars are inserted in the respective pairs of hangers. The U'shaped hangers I 8 also prevent any accidental turning of the bars relative 45 to the frame l2.

Rising upwardly from the rear end of the upper frame 12 is-an upstanding back frame section 2!, which section is also provided with one or more sets of U-shaped hangers l8 for supporting 50 one or more reel bars similar to the bars 20 hereinbefore referred to.

Fixedly secured adjacent one end of each of the bars 20 is an upwardly and rearwardly inclined arm 22, the upper end of which supports 55 a price ticket holder 23 into which a price ticket 24 may be removably inserted for displaying the price of the lace materials contained on the spools mounted on that particular bar. The arms 2'2 are of suflicient length as to dispose the ticket holder 23 out of the path of the reels adapted to be mounted adjacent to the ticket holders.

In practice, the rack Ill is filled with reels of different width and designs of lace, and which reels are designated R and are inserted upon the bars 2i] as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. Each bar 28 contains a plurality of reels arranged side by side and when all the rods 20 are filled, an attractive display of lace is provided. The rack i0 is adapted to be placed upon the counter of a department or chain store and the loose ends of the lace from the reels may be brought forward and draped over the front of the rack and rest upon the front of the counter on which the rack is supported. Also, if desired, a T-shaped stand may be set centrally of the rack to rise thereabove and the ends of the lace may be draped thereover.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that lace wound on reels and the reels displayed on racks produces an attractive and orderly display of the lace which is inducive of sales of the same. As the reels become empty of lace, the bar 20 on which the empty reel is mounted may be lifted from its hangers l8 and the empty reel removed and a full reel substituted therefor. l

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practicalembodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes and alterations in construction as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A rack for the display of reels of lace or the like comprising a rectangular frame, pairs of opposed U-shaped hangers fixed to the opposite sides of the frame and disposed inwardly of the rails thereof with their open ends facing upwardly, and reel supporting bars having fiat ends respectively seated in the opposed pairs of U- shaped hangers, the side rails of the frame abutting the ends of said bars to prevent accidental longitudinal sliding movement of the bars relative to said U-shaped hangers.

2. In a reel display rack, a frame structure having spaced opposed side rails, a pair of opposed U-shaped wire hangers respectively mounted on said side rails and extending inwardly and downwardly therefrom, each of said U-shaped hangers having laterally extending angular extensions integral with the legs thereof which are fixedly secured to the top of the side rail on which the hanger is carried, and a reel supporting bar having flat ends which are respectively seated in said U-shaped hangers whereby said bar is non rotatably supported and prevented from accidental sliding from the hangers by abutting engagement of the ends of the bar with said side rails.

FRED A. WOLFERT. 

